The Neutral Zone
' |image= |series= |production=40271-126 |producer(s)= |story=Deborah McIntyre and Mona Glee |script=Maurice Hurley |director=James L. Conway |imdbref=tt0708811 |guests=Marc Alaimo as Tebok, Anthony James as Thei, Leon Rippy as L.Q. "Sonny" Clemonds, Gracie Harrison as Clare Raymond and Peter Mark Richman as Ralph Offenhouse |previous_production=Conspiracy |next_production=The Child |episode=TNG S01E26 |airdate=14 May 1988 |previous_release=Conspiracy |next_release=The Child |story_date(s)=Stardate 41986.0 (2364) |previous_story=Conspiracy |next_story=The Child }} Summary While Captain Picard is away at an emergency Federation conference, the Enterprise crew discovers an ancient space capsule from Earth. Inside they find three humans in cryonic chambers. Lt. Cdr. Data asks to move the chambers to the Enterprise and Commander Riker agrees. Picard returns and orders the Enterprise to the Neutral Zone, as several Federation outposts nearby have not responded to communications. He explains that the conference was about the potential threat of the Romulans, who have not been seen for the last several decades. As Data and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Crusher work to thaw the cryonicly preserved humans, Picard admonishes Data for bringing them aboard during a crucial time, and puts Riker in charge of looking after them. The survivors – Claire Raymond, a housewife; Ralph Offenhouse, a financier; and L. Q. "Sonny" Clemmons, a musician – are from the late 20th Century. All died of incurable illnesses and were placed in cryogenic suspension after their deaths in the hope that cures might be found in the future. Dr. Crusher, in reviving them, successfully cures them of their illnesses. They deal with the culture shock of awakening in a distant future, while Counselor Troi searches for the living descendants of Claire. Of the three, Clemmons seems to fare the best at adapting to life in the future and befriends Data. Raymond is distraught at the thought of losing everyone she ever knew, particularly her children. Offenhouse is irritated by the loss of his wealth, and lack of access to news or other information. Picard assures him that all questions will be answered, but that their current situation with the Romulans requires Picard's full attention. The Enterprise reaches the Neutral Zone and confirms that the outposts have been destroyed. They are soon met by a Romulan Warbird and Commander Tebok questions why the Enterprise has approached the zone. As Picard tries to explain his actions, Offenhouse arrives on the bridge and threatens to disrupt the tense situation, though he correctly ascertains that the Romulans are also seeking answers. Picard and the Romulans agree to pool their resources to discover the culprit. Picard later comments that while the encounter went favorably, the Romulans may be a significant threat in future engagements. Picard arranges to transport the 20th-Century humans to Earth, where one of Raymond's descendants lives. Clemmons expresses enthusiasm for the future, and Picard sets Offenhouse the challenge of improving himself. Errors and Explanations Plot Oversights # Oddly enough, Data waits until after he and Worf beam over to pronounce that the space relic has a breathable atmosphere. Does this seem right’? Granted, Data can survive without oxygen, but what about poor old Worf? He is probably confirming the prescence of breathable air. # So the Enterprise is heading for a possible confrontation with the Romulans, right? Wouldn‘t this be a good time to separate the saucer and leave the families with children behind? Or does Picard know that the “headless chicken“ look of the battle section probably won‘t strike terror in the hearts of his enemies? He probably doesn't want to risk leaving the saucer on it's own. # When describing cryonics to Picard, Crusher, in a dismissive tone, calls it a fad. Yet apparently the “fad" had something going for it. There are three live humans from the twentieth century in her sick bay! True, but the practice of storing the recently deceased probably didn't last long, meaning it qualifies as a fad. LUIGI NOVI on Nit Central Tuesday, June 05, 2001 - 10:27 pm: Phil, from his NextGen Guide Vol. II; PO#3: Crusher, in a dismissive tone, refers to cryonics as "fad," but this "fad" evidently had something going for it, as there are three live 20th century humans in her sickbay! This nit seems to imply that Crusher’s statement is somehow incorrect, that cryonics was not a fad, and/or that the fact that it had something going for it, resulting in the three people in sickbay, somehow contradicts the notion of it being a fad, as if Crusher was somehow putting down cryonics. One has absolutely nothing to do with the other. A fad is a briefly popular fashion or craze. The success of it, or whether it had something going for it, has no bearing on that definition. Crusher’s choice of words was correct. # Why does Troi have to scrounge up a report on the Romulan from limited information sources when - according to Unification - Spock has maintained a dialogue with the Romulan Pardek for eighty years? The information Spock had was private, and intended for his eyes only. LUIGI NOVI on Nit Central: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 - 10:27 pm: Phil, from his NextGen Guide Vol. II: PO#4: Why does Troi have to scrounge up a report on the Romulans from limited information sources when-according to Unification Part 1, Spock has maintained a dialogue with Pardek for eighty years? Because Spock’s relationship with Pardek is personal, not official. Because of the consequences of his involving Kirk in the peace talks without his consent in ST VI, Spock decided to build a relationship with a Romulan himself, so that any failure on his part would not bring ramifications on the Federation that an official rapport might bring. He told this to Picard in the beginning of Unification Part 2. Because of this, there isn’t any information on file by Spock. Officially, his presence on Romulus is nonexistent. Changed Premises # In the meeting that follows Picard’s return, the dialogue states that the last Federation contact with the Romulans occurred more than fifty years ago. But in Redemption, Picard has knowledge of the Enterprise-C and the battle at Narendra Ill, an incident that happened approximately twenty-two years before. The diologue may be refering to diplomatic contact, which would not apply to a battle situation. # For the first and last time in the series, this episode shows us a Romulan vessel in which the commander and the subcommander sit side by side. Possibly due to the personal preference of Commander Tebok. Equipment Oddities # When Data and Worf board the space relic containing the frozen humans, there is air to breathe, the lights are on, and the vessel has gravity. Attempting to explain this, the creators have Data make a feeble statement about the ancient solar generator still functioning. Yet the solar panels seen in the outside shot seem badly damaged. On top of that, why do you need an oxygen environment for freeze-dried humans? Why do you need light? And why, oh, why, oh, why would you want to heat a capsule when you are trying to keep its contents cold? Finally, if this vessel comes from the twentieth century, just how is it generating gravity? Yes, it is spinning, but not nearly fast enough for its size, according to Nitpicker Central’s resident solar physicist Mitzi Adams. The solar generator could have been supplemented by power supplied by Enterprise, thus allowing operation of these systems, in order for Data and Worf to concentrate on their investigation. Internet Movie Database Miscellaneous # When Riker said get that man off of the bridge the two men who were supposed to be escorting him off the bridge disobeyed a direct order and that would not have happened on the Enterprise. Offenhouse resisted his removal long enough for everyone to be distracted by the decloking Romulan warbird. Nit Central # Keith Alan Morgan on Monday, April 19, 1999 - 08:35 am: At the beginning of the show it is stated that the Captain is several hours away, so Data and Worf have the time to go over and explore the capsule, but after they have been over there for a few minutes, Picard suddenly returns. Did it take Worf and Data several hours to get ready to beam over or did Worf get confused figuring how long they really had? ("Oh, subtract the two, not multiply!") More likely Picard returned earlier than expected. # If Television died off in 2040 like this episode states, what were all those reporters doing in Star Trek Generations? If there is no Television how does the news travel? Little boys on bicycles throwing newspapers at the bridges of passing spaceships? Mike Konczewski on Monday, April 19, 1999 - 03:33 pm: Those newsmen in ST:Generations could be webcasters, not TV newsmen. News is transmitted over the 24th century version of the Internet. Keith Alan Morgan on Tuesday, April 20, 1999 - 05:49 am: If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, and sounds like a duck... what would you call it? I'm sorry, but if people are watching a news/interview type broadcast on a screen, I call that a television. Mike Konczewski on Tuesday, April 20, 1999 - 05:24 pm: I guess since you're using the Internet you must realize it works different than TV. Remember the DS9 episode when Sisko & Co. went back to the 21st century? They had internet based news reporting. Perhaps what Data meant was that broadcast TV was dead, replaced by netertainment.Fandom User Mcb359 on 2 August, 2018 - 13:04 There are obviously news reports in the style of our TV broadcasts in the 24th century as Admiral Janeway watched one about the return of Voyager in “Endgame”. Before she turned it off, the voice even started with “in other news...” Seniram 13:48, August 2, 2018 (UTC) Perhaps Data was refering to scheduled TV as a form of entertainment provision. # If no one has had contact with the Romulans for fifty-three years, seven months, and eighteen days, then what about that Romulan cruiser in the Neutral Zone during Angel One? Was that sighting filed by the same guy who mistook a Ferengi ship for the Borg in Descent Part 1? That was either a long range scan or interception of comm traffic. # No one has heard from the Romulans in 53 years, etc., but Worf tells about the massacre at Khitomer by the Romulans while they were still Klingon allies. (Worf was 7 when the attack on Khitomer took place. Does this mean that in this episode Worf is 60 years old?) The statement about how, during the last 53 years, no one has heard from the Romulans, most likely refers to diplomatic contact between the Romulans and the Federation itself. # Jonathan (Jon0815) on Thursday, July 05, 2012 - 2:11 pm: Do some repliated drinks taste better than others? Sonny Clemonds says his replicated martini is "about the best" he's ever had, but in Up the Long Ladder, O'Dell says his replicated whiskey is "terrible" and has "no bite". Clemonds has not tasted a replicated drink before, whereas O'Dell has. In addition, the drinks Clemonds is used to drinking are probably smoother than O'Dell's. # When Data tells Picard there is nothing left of Outpost Delta Zero Five, Geordi says "Must have been one hell of an explosion." Why is Geordi so awestruck by the the destruction of a mere outpost? Wouldn't their own photon torpedoes also be capable of annihilating something that size? Even torpedo impacts tend to leave traces behind. # Worf mentions that the Romulans killed his parents during the attack on Khitomer "when they were supposed to be our allies". However, in "Reunion" Geordi says that the Klingons and Romulans have been blood enemies for 75 years. The High Council could have attempted to maintain the illusion of an alliance with the Romulans for some reason. # Worf pronounces Khitomer as "Khitomar". Lots of names have more than one pronounciation. # When asked what gives them the right to enter Federation space, the Romulan subcommander asserts that "To even to ask such a question implies that we need permission. We do not." Didn't the Warbird cross the Neutral Zone to reach Federation space, and isn't that forbidden by the treaty that established the Zone? Why bother signing treaties with the Romulans if they admit they don't feel bound by them? They probably regard it as an extension of their teritory - possibly due to it being known as the Romulan Neutral Zone - and feel they have more right to cross it than the Federation. # Picard is rather quick to take the Romulans' word for it that their outposts have also been destroyed. Other than not attacking his ship, they haven't given him any reason to trust them. Shouldn't he have asked permission for the Enterprise, or another Federation ship, to enter Romulan space and investigate? He knows they would not have broken over fifty years of islation, and risked a devestating was, unless something serious had happened. Category:Episodes Category:The Next Generation